The Reconnection Hypothesis
by Guitars1964
Summary: We fast forward to 2017 - 4 years since Leonard's return from the North Sea. Career success has come to both Leonard and Penny, but at a cost. If you're a fan of Leonard & Penny, this may be for you.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - This Fan Fiction takes us forward to 2017, 4 years after Leonard's triumphant ****return from the North Sea. Leonard's and Penny's lives have experienced some big changes. But some things didn't go as planned. The early chapters will include Leonard's recollections of important events over the past four years. To make it easier to distinguish past from present, I've put his recollections into _italics_. I've got a good start on chapters and plan to publish 2 chapters per week. I hope you find it a fun read.**

Chapter 1: Another trip

The Virgin Atlantic Executive Lounge was fairly quiet at Heathrow. It was, after all, 4 PM Saturday afternoon and the business fliers usually try to get out on Friday. But this trip required his attendance, and a speech, at the International Experimental Physicists Conference in London Friday night, so he wasn't able to leave until Saturday.

Leonard was tired...and not just from this trip. These frequent business trips were really getting to him. Four years ago, before his career took off, international business travel seemed like a glamorous, exciting perk. Now it was just draining.

As he sipped the hazelnut coffee and sampled the pastries in the Lounge, he opened the Wall Street Journal - there was supposed to be an article on the Conference. Maybe there was even a reference to his speech on recent developments in String Theory. But his mind drifted away from the paper as he slouched in the chair and stared out the large plate glass window toward his waiting 767. Moments like these allowed Leonard the chance to think about all that had happened since he returned from Hawking's expedition in September 2013. Four years...it seemed so long ago and yet like yesterday.

Just as he started recalling that summer, his cell phone vibrated (oops, forgot to put it back on ring after last night's conference, he realized). His face brightened as he saw the caller's name - it was Christine, or Chrissy as he liked to call her.

"Hi, Sweetie, wow, you're calling early - what is it, like 7AM at home?", Leonard asked.

"Uh-huh, it's early here, Daddy" Chrissy replied. "When are you going to get home? I miss you, and so does Ruffy." It was so great to hear her voice, but it tugged at his heart strings, too. He'd been away too many times for his liking, and his 6 year old stepdaughter needed him home. Their dog, Ruffy, a God-knows-what mix that he and Chrissy adopted from an animal shelter last year, was good company for Chrissy, especially when Leonard was away.

"I am at the airport in London now and I will be home late this evening. I miss you so much - can't wait to see you" Leonard exclaimed. "And I won't be going away on another trip for a while, so we can spend lots of time together, I promise."

"OK, Daddy. Here's Annie" Chrissy said as she handed the phone to Ann Davidson, the older woman who usually stayed with Chrissy when Leonard was away.

"Everything OK there, Ann?" Leonard inquired.

"Hey, Leonard, yeah, all is well. Had to take Ruffy to the vet yesterday for some kind of infection, but he's on medication and he'll be fine. Chrissy has a play date at Howard and Bernadette's this afternoon - they are taking Chrissy and Howard, Jr. to a children's fair. After I drop her off, I'll come back to the house, straighten up and take care of some groceries so you are set for Sunday."

"Thanks, Ann. As always, I appreciate everything you do for me when I am gone. Don't know how I'd get along otherwise" Leonard offered.

"I'm glad I can do it, Leonard - and, you know, Chrissy is so great. She reminds me so much of Becky," Ann said as she filled the dishwasher and put away the milk. "We'll see you tonight, then. Have a good flight."

"Yep, see you tonight, Ann. Thanks," responded Leonard as he pressed the "End" button on his smartphone.

As he filled his cup with another infusion of hazelnut-flavored caffeine, his thoughts returned to all that had transpired over the past four years.

_That North Sea trip turned out to be a turning point in Leonard's career. He had been instrumental in proving some key hypotheses that Dr. Hawking had proposed. Frankly, Leonard had wondered when he joined that research team if they'd really be able to support Hawking's theories, and the success was beyond Leonard's wildest dreams. _

_Then there was Leonard's triumphant return from the North Sea that September. He was so excited to see Penny again, and he couldn't wait to share his discoveries with his friends. It had been a busy and exciting 4 months on the research ship, but he had missed Penny and his friends and his system had never entirely adapted to the motion of the boat. He remembered how he felt when he stepped off the plane at LAX after his return from the North Sea, thinking about what lay ahead with his career, and, more importantly, what he hoped would be a future with the woman who lived across the hall, the woman he had known, and loved, for six years. _

_What he hadn't expected four years ago when he arrived at LAX after that summer on the research ship was exactly how his life was going to change, both for better and for worse._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Just a reminder - the text in italics is Leonard's recollections and reflections from various times in the prior 4 years. Just to help distinguish from the current time (2017) in regular type .**

Chapter 2: Reminiscing on the flight home

Leonard had nodded off in the Lounge when he was suddenly awakened by the announcement that his flight was ready for business class boarding. He quickly stuffed the newspaper, his cell phone and his laptop into his flight bag and grabbed his suit jacket as he exited the Lounge for Gate D15. It looked like the flight would be leaving on time and hopefully Leonard would be into LAX on time. It was still a long trip from London to Los Angeles.

He presented his boarding pass and passport at the gate and moved quickly down the jetway to the plane's door.

"Good afternoon, sir," announced the flight attendant. "Welcome to Virgin Atlantic." Leonard didn't need help finding his seat, or more accurately, his "pod", the rather futuristic looking seating area in business class. Leonard knew most of these large planes' layouts pretty well, based on all of his travels. He threw his flight bag on the seat and presented his suit jacket to the flight attendant to hang in the closet. The jacket, like his suit pants, was ready for a cleaning and pressing after this trip. He had taken two suits as he'd be away a week. The suit he was wearing today was the dark gray one with the discrete pinstripes that Penny had helped him pick out after he returned from the North Sea. She had real flare with fashion and had really helped Leonard update his business wardrobe as his career required more meetings, speeches and trips. He smiled as he remembered how frustrated she got trying to get him to try new clothes. OK, maybe he did go with that grad school poverty look a little too long.

Recalling the day that he and Penny bought the suit also brought a dark cloud to his otherwise upbeat mood. Those days after his return from the North Sea were so much fun - the happiest time of his life. How did it all fall apart?

_Leonard recalled Penny waving at him when she spotted him after he cleared customs at LAX. She almost hugged the air right out of his lungs. On the trip back to the apartment she excitedly shared with Leonard the news about the audition and that she'd won the lead role in a Lifetime TV movie. It had been such a long shot for her, although Leonard never flagged in his belief that she could be a success._

_"This is it, Leonard - this is what I have been waiting for since I moved here from Nebraska," Penny exclaimed. "This is going to be so great for both of us."_

_The fall of 2013 was busy for Leonard as he was increasingly called upon by Cal Tech to talk about the discoveries on the North Sea trip. At the same time Penny's Lifetime movie began production. Neither of them had any idea how time-consuming the movie shoot was going to be. Leonard missed Penny a lot and on the occasional free days she was exhausted and, being new to the "big time" she felt a lot of stress. With Leonard she sometimes turned to tears, and Leonard did all he could to try to comfort and reassure her._

"_This is a lot harder than I imagined, Leonard," Penny confessed. "I guess I always imagined the glamour part and the excitement. I never imagined the long, long days of rehearsals and re-takes, and the director is like a tyrant."_

_Leonard tried to calm her, "Penny, you are new to this. There is always an adjustment period. Just remember, they picked you because they believed you were the best person for this role. Just hang in there and know that I'm behind you all the way."_

_Their Christmas plans to take a trip to Vermont for what they called "an old fashioned New England Christmas" were dashed because of both of their schedules. Their anticipated week-long Vermont bed and breakfast getaway turned out to be Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at Los Robles Avenue in Penny's apartment. They were both feeling disappointed that their trip had to be cancelled. Penny hadn't planned to buy a Christmas tree because they thought they'd be away, but she and Leonard got one at the last minute and they did their best to decorate it and get into the spirit, despite the change of plans._

_Unfortunately, as the New Year 2014 came in and the holidays receded, life for Leonard and Penny didn't improve. Their mismatched schedules and the stress imposed by both of their new jobs added a new component to their relationship that was making things worse. 2013, before the North Sea triumph and before Penny's career launch, had been a huge step forward for them as a couple, and they had opened up their relationship with honest, no-secrets-heldback communication. But as 2014 advanced that communication became less frequent, replaced by superficial conversations about the details of their days. This wasn't how either of them thought it was going to happen._

As Leonard's flight approached the East Coast of the U.S., following a filling meal and some welcome glasses of wine, he reclined his chair and while nursing a glass of cognac resumed his reminiscence of the past 4 years. He clearly remembered that last argument with Penny in June 2014 after she cancelled their dinner plans.

_He was sitting on her couch, still in his sportcoat and tie, when she entered their apartment at 1:30 AM. She looked tired but seemed a little tipsy too._

_"Where have you been?" demanded Leonard. "Canceling 7 o'clock dinner because of work is one thing, but not calling and cruising in at 1:30 AM is something else!"_

_"Leonard, I am not 'cruising in'", Penny retorted. "It's been one long day. We spent the whole day on a table read of the new comedy show I'm in and we were doing changes and re-writes of some dialog until 7:30. Then a few of us decided to stop for a drink to try to wind down. I guess we stayed longer than I had planned or realized. And I'm not drunk, just mostly tired. I'm sorry I didn't call you. I just thought you'd know I was going to be really late. My bad." Leonard sensed Penny's apology wasn't entirely sincere._

_That evening in June 2014 went downhill fast after that. At one point Sheldon knocked on Penny's door and wanted to know what was going on._

_"It's 4:30 in the morning. Why are you both yelling? I have a big lecture today and you are keeping me from getting my rest. Please stop it."_

_But the arguing didn't stop. The months of stress and the lack of honest dialog were taking their toll. By 6 AM Leonard and Penny were both spent. There seemed to be no way to fix things. Finally Leonard took a deep breath and quietly spoke,_

_"Maybe we need to take some time off from each other. This isn't working."_

_Penny, holding back tears and tired of the fighting, briefly looked away, took a breath herself, nodded and agreed._

_"Yeah, maybe we should." _

_Leonard, realizing what this meant, was in shock. But neither knew what else to do. _

The 7 year experiment which was Leonard and Penny had come to a crushing end.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Oh, yeah, forgot to mention before - I don't own these wonderful characters, of course. But I love playing screenwriter and creating my own story about their lives. Don't forget - the italics text are the flashback, or Leonard's reminiscing, about the prior 4 years (current time, 2017, in regular font).**

Chapter 3: Moving out and moving on.

High above Indiana at 39,000 feet, after getting up and stretching, Leonard walked up to the business class bar for another drink. As he stood at the bar with his second cognac, he continued recalling the events of 2014.

_With the decision to take a break from their relationship came another issue for Leonard - he had been living with Penny since his return from the North Sea, and Sheldon had a new roommate - Amy. So there was no going back across the hall for Leonard. Raj had told Leonard that his condo building had some nice units available, and Leonard decided to check them out._

_"Well, regardless of what happens, if anything, in the future with Penny, it's time for me to buy something," Leonard said to Raj. "I like the unit two floors above you and I'm going to make an offer."_

_It would be 6 weeks until closing, and Raj kindly let Leonard crash on his couch until Leonard could take possession of his new condo. It was a weird feeling for Leonard not living on the 4th floor of Los Robles Avenue. He couldn't believe that he and Penny were over. Raj did his best to support Leonard but it didn't help. Given the sad circumstances that precipitated Leonard's purchase of the condo, the closing was not a day for celebration._

As Leonard returned to his seat in business class, he recalled that September, 2014 as he moved into his new condo.

_It took a lot of getting used to. As much as Sheldon would get on his nerves, he missed seeing his old buddy. Of course, they still had lunch together and they saw each other during the day at Cal Tech, but it wasn't the same._

The Virgin Atlantic captain interrupted the cabin's silence on the plane's loudspeaker to point out Lake Michigan out the right cabin windows. We're near Chicago, now, Leonard thought, we're getting closer. The long trip gave him plenty of time to think - maybe too much - but for some reason he was compelled to continue to examine the events of the past 4 years that brought him to where he was now.

_After their split in the summer of 2014 Penny's career and celebrity really kicked into high gear. That TV comedy show hit the air in early October 2014 and scored an immediate high share in the coveted 18-49 age category. Leonard felt awkward about visiting Sheldon at Los Robles, given the situation with Penny, and any visits with Sheldon outside of work usually took place at Leonard's or Raj's or Howard and Bernadette's. As a result, Leonard and Penny hadn't seen or spoken to each other since the split._

_Leonard wanted to move on and fought hard against the emotions that wanted to have him wallow in self pity and regret. In June 2015, while attending a conference in San Francisco, Leonard met Rebecca Neufeld, an attractive, smart financial executive who was staying at the same hotel._

_"Becky", as she was known to friends, was an insurance risk management professional. As she explained to Leonard, her job was to identify, mitigate and provide financial protection for the fortuitous loss risks of the companies who contracted for her expertise. It was a little foreign to Leonard, but he found her engaging and fun. Despite the dryness of the description of her work, she was able to explain it to him in a way that sounded interesting. Likewise, Becky was fascinated by Leonard's knowledge, and his plain talking way of explaining the theories of the origins of the universe intrigued her._

_As it developed, Becky was actually from Venice, California. During one her first chats with Leonard at the hotel bar one night, Becky talked about some important aspects of her life._

_"Leonard, I feel comfortable and safe talking to you about things. I've had some rough times but some good ones, too," Becky confided. "I was married before...briefly. His name was Todd. In retrospect it was a stupid decision by both of us. I got pregnant immediately after we married. Todd grew more and more distant as my due date approached. He split not long after Christine was born. I don't know if it was being a father or just being married that did it to him. He just couldn't handle it. We got a divorce fairly quickly, after which he disappeared...literally. No child support, no nothing"._

_"So, with help from my parents and my sister, I've been raising my daughter, Christine, on my own, while trying to manage my career. It hasn't been easy," Becky admitted as her eyes looked away from Leonard briefly. "But Christine has been the most important part of my life, and I am so grateful to have her!"_

_Leonard asked more about Christine and let Becky offer what she was comfortable sharing about the past few years._

_"Sounds like we've both been through the ringer, relationship-wise," Leonard responded._

_Leonard loved how easily Becky could talk about important topics - communication was tops on his list in any relationship. He thought he had this with Penny, but something went wrong. With Becky it seemed easier, and Leonard's way of telling Becky that it was safe to share her feelings and experiences with Leonard brought the two of them closer during that introduction in San Francisco._

_Leonard was surprised by his feelings for Becky - before meeting her he had pretty much sworn off relationships for good. After the conference Leonard and Becky started casually dating. Becky understood that Leonard was still recovering from the Penny breakup, even after almost a year. And Leonard knew that Becky was having trust issues following Todd's leaving. But they were attracted to each other and were willing to take a chance._

_By Christmas, 2015, six months into his relationship with Becky, Leonard decided he was ready to make a firm commitment. After all, it had been 18 months since he'd said goodbye to Penny, a temporary break that became permanent. And Leonard loved Becky's little girl, Christine, who was now 4 years old. By Valentine's Day 2016 Leonard and Becky were engaged. By June 2016 they were married, and Leonard was now a stepdad. Due to the terms of Becky's divorce in which Todd relinquished all rights to (and, obviously, interest in) Christine, Leonard was legally able to adopt "Chrissy", as they called her. He and Becky were thrilled when the adoption was completed, as it made them all feel even more of a family._

_Neither of their own places was really big enough for the three of them to be comfortable, so Becky and Leonard sold their own condos and bought a larger townhouse in a gated community. They both weren't thrilled about the enclosed feel of a gated community, but it was near both of their offices and it offered a safe place to play for Christine._

_It wasn't always easy, as both Becky's consulting job and Leonard's university job required a lot of juggling to accommodate each other and care for Chrissy. But somehow they made it work, and Leonard was the happiest he had been in a long time. _

As the Virgin Atlantic flight continued its way westward, Leonard thought about those happy times as he reflected on the troubles that would follow.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Just a little left in italics here of Leonard's recollections of earlier events. Note, in a few places I have used some adult language - not much, but it seemed to fit. That gets this FF an M rating, based on my review of the rating system. Thanks in advance for your read and, if inclined, your review.**

Chapter 4: The Look Back Concludes as the Plane Lands at LAX

Interspersed with some brief naps Leonard used his quiet time aboard the 767 to bring his review of the past four years to a close.

_This was the worst part. The pain was still fresh. December, 2016. Almost 6 months since the wedding when it happened. Becky had just run to the store for a few things. Leonard was home with Christine. The police said the other driver had a heart attack. That car T-boned Becky's car on the left side. The image of the two uniformed officers at the front door of the townhouse was forever burned into Leonard's memory. They told him Becky died instantly. It was just one of those unexplainable accidents - no one's fault, not that blaming someone would have made a difference._

Sitting in his business class seat Leonard couldn't remember much about the next month after Becky died.

_The funeral and pretty much all of January 2017 were a vague, foggy memory. He had no idea what to tell Christine about her mother's death. He enlisted help from a therapist to talk to her about what had happened. At five years old how much could she possibly understand? She just missed her mommy. And Leonard was having a hard time himself_.

The flight attendant announced that the flight would be landing within twenty minutes. The business class attendant handed Leonard a hot, damp towel which felt refreshing as Leonard began to prepare for leaving the plane. He could tell his full beard would need a trim when he got home. He'd had the beard since his trip to the North Sea four years ago. He liked the rugged appearance it gave him, and both Penny and, later, Becky liked the look too.

"Man, I've got a lot on my to-do list when I get home. Gotta get these wrinkled suits to the cleaners, for one thing. Fortunately, Ann will have the grocery shopping done so there will be food for Sunday and to get us through most of the week, " Leonard observed. He may go into work a little late on Monday, in order to take care of a few things that he couldn't do on Sunday.

Can't wait to see Christine, he thought. Leonard felt bad about being away from her again.

"Something has to change," he mumbled to himself. "These trips are costing me too much in my relationship with my daughter."

After the plane landed and gated, Leonard grabbed his gear and hurried off the plane. He headed to Baggage Claim, after which he'd clear customs and then, if all worked right, his car service would be waiting to take him home.

After picking up his luggage and clearing customs he followed the signs to Ground Transportation. The flights always dehydrated him, and he decided to stop at a concession booth to buy a bottled water. Dodging other passengers he found his way to the nearest Hudson Newstand and grabbed a bottled water from the refrigerator. As he approached the counter to pay, his eyes caught the latest _People_ magazine. It was impossible to miss - Penny was on the cover! It was nearly a shock to Leonard to see his former girlfriend, the waitress/struggling actress, now gracing the cover of the popular national celebrity magazine. Not that he was surprised that she'd be a cover girl someday. She had always been stunning to him.

Leonard quickly paid for the water and the magazine and stuffed the water bottle in his flight bag as his gaze fixed on the magazine cover. She looked, as always, fabulous. Her green eyes sparkled. Somehow, though, she looked different...more Hollywood, maybe. The cover title was "Top Hollywood Beauties of 2017!"

"Holy shit," he kept repeating, as he turned the pages to find the one about Penny. When he found the page, his eyes raced through the words "Hollywood's newest darling lifts CBS network ratings as comedy show captures hearts of viewers and critics!"

Well, Leonard thought, I guess her success is complete. She's got what she always dreamed about. Suddenly, that fall of 2013 living with Penny seemed even more distant. He wondered where she was living now - she'd moved out of Los Robles about four months after the Lifetime movie first aired. He'd heard she might be in Sherman Oaks, but he wasn't sure, and, after all, did it really matter now? He'd always thought he and Penny would stay together forever, and now here he was, a single dad, a widower (such a weird word, he thought), and she - a big-time Hollywood actress. The relatively care-free days of life on the fourth floor of Los Robles seemed like a lifetime ago.

As he approached the Ground Transportation area he saw the man in the dark suit holding up the sign that read "Hofstadter". Good, George was here, Leonard thought.

"Hey, George, how are you?" Leonard asked.

"I'm fine, Dr. Hofstadter. How was your trip?" George replied.

"Long as always, but I think it went well. Just glad to be back in LA and can't wait to get home!" Leonard exclaimed.

The black Lincoln was nearby in the limo parking area. Leonard walked with George to the car and hopped in the back seat as George loaded the luggage. The car quickly pulled away from the parking area and headed to Leonard's townhouse, where his babysitter, Ann, and Chrissy would be waiting.

As the car negotiated the Saturday evening traffic, Leonard reached into his flight bag and pulled out that _People_ Magazine. He returned to Page 32 to re-read the article on Penny, now on _People's_ top ten Hollywood beauties list. As he revisited in his mind those last months with Penny, he put his head back and dozed off in the back seat of the Town Car as it whisked him to his home, with the _People_ magazine on his lap, still open to Page 32.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Just the usual periodic disclaimer that I do not own these beloved characters, but I am glad I get to explore creative writing with them.**

Chapter 5: Jet Lag and Daily Living

Sunday morning came fast. The London - Los Angeles time difference was 8 hours, and it always took Leonard a day or so to re-acclimate when he got home. He'd gone to bed later than he wanted Saturday night - he was really tired but Chrissy needed some time with him. Sunday AM he was briefly awakened when Chrissy wandered in, jumping into bed with him. She was still sleepy and didn't make much noise, and Leonard drifted off to sleep again, only to be awakened by his cell phone next to his bed. The phone showed it was 9:30 AM but he was still tired.

"Hello?" Leonard croaked as he put on his glasses.

"Leonard, it's Howard. Did I wake you?" his longtime friend asked.

"No, not really," Leonard tried to convince Howard, but Howard sensed that he had awakened Leonard.

"Sorry, Leonard, thought you'd be up by now. How was the trip?" Howard asked.

"Yeah, it was good. I think I made some good contacts for Cal Tech, and we got some favorable press during the visit," Leonard responded as he sat up in bed, Chrissy still curled up next to him hugging her stuffed animal.

"Good to hear, good to hear," Howard acknowledged. "Hey, Leonard, a couple of things. One, Bernie wanted me to ask you if you and Chrissy would like to come over for dinner tonight. Nothing fancy, but home cooking and you can fill us in on your trip...and Chrissy and Howard, Jr. can play together while we chat. Two, the chairman of my department at Cal Tech gave me a couple of tickets to some fancy cocktail party thing for Thursday night - it's a fundraiser for that animal shelter over near your old apartment," Howard explained. "I can't make it but we thought you'd like to go with Bernadette. I know you are a supporter of animal shelters and Bernie thought you might enjoy going. You can drop off Chrissy at our place that night - I have to work but we'll have a baby sitter for Howard, Jr. and Chrissy. Whaddya say?"

Leonard let his head clear for a moment and then responded, "Dinner tonight sounds great. What time?"

"How's 6-ish - it is a 'school night', you know," Howard chuckled.

"Sounds good - we'll be there, and I'll bring a bottle of that chianti I just bought recently," Leonard said, looking over at his sleeping daughter. "Um, the cocktail fund raiser Thursday - sure, why not? Yeah, thanks. It's for a good cause."

With that Howard closed the call, "Good deal - we'll see you and Chrissy at 6. Later, Dude."

As Leonard hung up the phone, Chrissy woke up, kissed her father and jumped out of bed.

"Come on, daddy. Time for breakfast!" she exclaimed as she ran down the hall and down the stairs, her stuffed animal horse in tow.

"Well," Leonard whispered to himself, "at least coffee anyway. I need to get a jump start this morning."

The rest of Sunday morning and afternoon went by quickly as Leonard took care of laundry and other mundane chores, leaving some fun time in the afternoon to take Chrissy to the park to give Ruffy a chance to run around. Chrissy loved playing with her dog at the park, and it was a perfect afternoon to be outside. Leonard's trip to London kept him mostly indoors, and it felt really good to be outside in the sun and fresh air.

At 6:15 PM Leonard and Chrissy were at Howard and Bernadette's front door of the cute Cape Code style home that Howard and Bernadette bought before three year old Howard Jr. was born. Leonard had to smile every time he pulled in their driveway, as it was the archetypal "house with the white picket fence."

Bernie's career was going really well but Howard wasn't that keen on being a stay at home "Mr. Mom", so they agreed to initially find a qualified day nanny and, when the baby was a year old, use day care. Howard's work schedule was kinder than Bernadette's, so Howard usually dropped off and picked up Howard, Jr. from day care. And, truth be told, Bernie enjoyed being a mom a lot more than she ever thought she would. Of course, Howard himself was still a bit of a momma's boy, so at times it was hard for Bernadette to handle, well, two kids. But overall, life seemed to going pretty well for the Wolowitz family.

Leonard was glad Howard had called and was looking forward to catching up with Howard and Bernie Sunday evening. And although Chrissy was three years older than Howard, Jr., she enjoyed playing with him and acting like sort of an older sister.

After a nice dinner (Bernadette was a pretty good cook), while the kids played upstairs, Howard, Bernie and Leonard enjoyed an after dinner drink and chatted.

"So, Leonard, how's everything going?" Bernie inquired. Leonard knew what was behind her seemingly innocuous question - had he started dating yet was what she meant.

"Yeah, everything is fine...you know," offered Leonard. "Works been crazy, and Chrissy keeps me busy otherwise. I mean, work and Chrissy pretty much fill up all the spaces in my life." This was Leonard's coded message that he wasn't dating yet. It had only been nine months since he lost Becky, and he just didn't feel ready.

"We know what you mean - our jobs, the house, Howard, Jr., trying to avoid my mother...there's no time left for much else," Howard nodded.

"Well, anyway, you're still on for Thursday night, right?" Bernie asked as she refilled Leonard's cognac.

"Yeah, absolutely, Bernie. Should be fun," Leonard responded. "By the way, where is it? Some local catering hall?"

"Oh, no, it's at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on Rodeo Drive," Bernadette replied. "It's kind of a big deal. The tickets are like $500 a person, if you can believe it. Howard's boss had 2 tickets - Cal Tech's been a big supporter of the local animal shelter, but his boss couldn't make it and gave them to Howard."

"Really? Do I need a tux or something? I didn't realize it would be that fancy," Leonard queried.

"No, just wear one of your suits - that will be fine," Howard assured him.

It was getting late and, being a Sunday night, everybody had work the next day, so Leonard packed up Chrissy's stuff and carried her to the car, with Howard and Bernadette, holding Howard, JR., walking him out.

"Thanks, guys. It was a great evening...really appreciate it," Leonard said as he kissed Bernadette goodnight and hugged Howard. "Bernie, I'll pick you up Thursday. Looking forward to it."

As Leonard backed out of the Wolowitz' driveway, he was feeling pretty upbeat. The trip to London had gone well, he made it home OK, and, frankly, he looked forward to getting into his office at Cal Tech tomorrow. And, well, the cocktail fundraiser Thursday night gave him something to look forward to.

Bernie and Howard hadn't mentioned to Leonard that the fundraiser would include a number of Hollywood celebrities who supported animal shelters. As Leonard arrived back at his townhouse and carried his sleeping daughter into the house, he was unaware of what Thursday night would bring.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Caught Off Guard

It was Thursday afternoon before he knew it. Boy, thought Leonard, this week is going by fast.

"Tonight's that fundraiser, but," Leonard told Raj, "I don't know now if I'm really that into going. I'd almost rather just veg-out at home tonight. Oh well, I told Bernie I'd go with her, so I will."

"Come on, Leonard," Raj retorted, "You need to get out. Plus, these are $500 tickets. How often are you going to get a chance to do this? The wine and the food will probably be wonderful. You'll have to tell me what they served."

"Yeah, sure, Raj, I'll make sure to take notes," was Leonard's semi-sarcastic response. He wasn't trying to be nasty to Raj, one of his old friends, but he wasn't that excited about going.

The fundraiser was starting at 7:30 PM and Bernie and Leonard agreed to aim to get there around 8 PM. At 7:15 Leonard buckled Chrissy in the car and headed over to the Wolowitz's to drop off Chrissy and pick up Bernadette.

"Hi, Bernie, Leonard said as she opened the door. "You ready to go?"

"Yep, almost. Come on in and meet the babysitter, Cindy Brooks," Bernie responded. Leonard introduced Chrissy to Cindy, exchanged some small talk and said goodbye to Chrissy as he and Bernadette headed out the door.

"You excited about tonight, Leonard?" asked Bernie.

"Yeah, I guess so," offered Leonard. "Been kind of a busy week, so I guess by tonight I'm almost running on empty. But I'm, you know, happy to go. I'm sure we'll have a good time."

Truth be told, Bernadette had been a little conflicted about inviting Leonard to join her for the fundraiser. She knew that there would be some celebrities there, and, putting two and two together, she also guessed that it was possible that Penny might be there. Since Penny and Leonard broke up and Penny moved to Sherman Oaks she'd become a dog lover and an advocate for rescue animals, so this type of event would be just the type of thing she might decide to attend. Of course, Bernie wasn't sure, since, sadly, she and Penny hadn't really been in touch for, what was it now, must be more than two years, she thought. She was pretty sure Penny knew about Leonard's marrying Becky and adopting Christine, but she wasn't sure if Penny knew about the car crash and all that. But it didn't really matter, since Leonard and Penny were long over.

And, Bernie thought, why worry about it? If they see each other, so what? They've moved on, etc. Bernadette had kept tabs on Penny and knew her relationship history since Leonard, more recently because of the tabloids, or "rag mags" as she called them. Penny was still single. A couple of near misses but Penny had yet to make it to the altar. But at 31, she was still young and, with her schedule, how would Penny have made time for a serious relationship? But Bernie felt bad that she and Penny had lost touch. They had been such good friends.

In the car Leonard had been fairly quiet. Bernie decided to break the silence.

"Thanks for agreeing to come with me tonight, Leonard," Bernadette finally said. "I know you just got back from your trip, but Howard couldn't go and it would have been a shame to waste these tickets, and I didn't feel comfortable going alone. And, not to be mean, but I just didn't feel like inviting Amy."

"No problem, Bernie, I appreciate your thinking of me," Leonard responded. "Sorry if I sounded less than psyched before - I am really glad you and Howard asked me. This is just a social thing for me - no working the room or giving a talk to a roomful of scientists, so it's an easy night, and it's good to get out. Thanks for arranging to include Chrissy with your babysitter."

Leonard's car pulled up to the front of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, with 6 cars in front of them, as the valets were running quickly to move cars. Leonard extended his right arm for Bernie to hold as they walked into the hotel for the gala fundraiser. Leonard and Bernie gave their names and presented their tickets and then headed for one of the bars to order a drink to get the evening started. The ballroom was quite crowded and the sound level was pretty high.

"Well, it's nice to see that they got a good turnout," Leonard remarked. "At $500 a pop they should raise some nice cash for the shelter."

Bernie responded, "Yeah, it's nice that Cal Tech supports rescue animals and shelters."

They stuck together as they walked around the large room, occasionally chatting with a few people they knew, a couple of Leonard's colleagues from Cal Tech and one or two persons from Bernie's company.

Leonard probably would never have accepted the invitation had he known. It just didn't occur to him, despite the high profile venue and the fact that the charity involved animal rescue and shelter. He wasn't at all prepared for it. But then it happened. As he sipped his cabernet and looked around the room, there she was. Black dress, low cut scooped neck, blond hair just below her shoulders. It seemed like a lot longer than it really was since he had last seen her in person. She couldn't have been more than 15 feet away. Leonard's fight or flight instinct almost got the better of him, and he just wanted to duck out of there as fast as he could. It took Bernie a few moments to notice the look on Leonard's face and turn her gaze to the left to see what had grabbed his attention.

It had been, what, three years now since the breakup? And there she was, looking every bit as beautiful as ever...Penny. After the surprise of seeing her had passed, Leonard's mind shot back to that day at Los Robles when he first saw her, the day she moved in. Same feeling again. Same awkward tightness in the pit of his stomach feeling. Now what, he thought?

Bernie thought to herself, oh boy, can't believe she's really here. Before another thought could come, Penny glanced over their way and caught Bernie's eye and then Leonard's.

Leonard smiled tentatively at Penny, turned a quick look to Bernie, and simultaneously they both started to walk toward Penny. Leonard was wishing more than ever that he had declined Bernie's invitation to attend the cocktail party and had just stayed home. Damn!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Familiar Suit

As they approached Penny, who was chatting with a couple of tall, hunky guys, Leonard could feel his entire body tensing up. What am I going to say, he wondered, this is way beyond awkward - balls!

"Leonard, Bernadette, what a nice surprise!", Penny exclaimed, "How are you both?"

"Hi, Penny, it's been a while!" remarked Bernadette as she gave Penny a polite hug.

"Hey, you," Leonard managed in a somewhat moderate tone. He awkwardly leaned forward and kissed Penny on the cheek and hugged her. He felt a whole mess of different emotions as he did this. His body was almost shaking and he was afraid Penny would notice. Her perfume...it was instantly familiar to him, and happy memories flooded his brain as he inhaled the wonderful scent. Same Estee Lauder "Private Collection" perfume that Leonard had first bought her years ago. It was somehow comforting to Leonard that she was still wearing that fragrance.

As they exchanged glances in the middle of the hotel's ballroom, there was, amidst all the noise in the room, what seemed like an extended silence between them. Then, finally, Penny spoke.

"Leonard, I was so, so sorry to hear about your wife. Oh my God, I felt so terrible. I wanted to write you, but I guess I didn't know what to say. How are you doing?"

"Thanks, Penny. Yeah, I'm doing OK. It's taken some time - you never get over it, you know," Leonard said as he looked down at his shoes, "But I've got my daughter...well, she's actually my stepdaughter, Christine, and that's made all the difference."

"Christine - that's my middle name, remember?" remarked Penny. "How old is she?"

"Yeah, she's six now, amazingly," Leonard told her. "She's a great kid - she's a lot like her mom, that's for sure - pretty, outgoing, too grown up for her age. I dread her teenage years someday!"

Penny notice his nicely-pressed suit - she remembered it was the one that she helped him buy four years ago. He still looked so distinguished in it. A smile came to her as she also remembered what a fuss he raised about buying new clothes.

As Leonard answered Penny's questions, out of habit he pulled out his wallet and removed Chrissy's picture to show Penny. It was a photo from last month at a nearby stable. Christine seemed to like horses, and Leonard had taken her for a ride on a horse for her sixth birthday.

"Oh, wow, is she a horse lover?" Penny asked.

"Well, she might be...probably a little soon to tell, but she sure did enjoy that little walk around the corral that day! Her favorite toy is a stuffed animal horse named "Daisy." I guess I may be seeing lessons and stable fees in my future," Leonard confessed.

Penny was enthusiastic, "I don't know if you know, but I've gotten into horse riding, jumping and shows. Been doing it for 2 years now. You should definitely help her pursue it - it's a good hobby!"

Bernie was mostly watching the exchange between Leonard and Penny, wondering what was happening. She hoped she wouldn't see Leonard get his heart broken and she wondered if she'd regret bringing him tonight. Alright, Bernie, she thought to herself, they are just chit-chatting. But as she watched the two of them catch up, Bernie shook her head and thought this was one of the most complicated couples she'd ever known.

The awkwardness was still palpable, when someone touched Penny's shoulder.

"Penny, sorry, but I want to introduce you to the head of movie distribution at Warner Brothers," her agent, Brett Jones, interrupted.

"Oh, OK, Brett," Penny responded. "Sorry, Leonard and Bernadette, duty calls. It was great seeing you, really."

Bernadette gave Penny a kiss and backed up and let Leonard say his goodbyes. He reached out to give Penny a polite hug, when she pulled him a little closer than he expected.

Penny whispered, "It really was nice to see you again, Leonard." She then tore an edge off the fundraiser program and, pulling a pen from her purse, wrote her cell phone number on it.

"Leonard, I don't know, maybe you don't want to. But, um, if you think you might, why don't you bring Christine to the stables where I ride sometime. I'd be happy to show her around and give her a little ride on one of my horses...if you want. Love to meet her. I'll leave it up to you, but here's my personal cell number. I hope you'll call."

With that, Penny smiled, returned a kiss on Leonard's cheek, and followed her agent to the far corner of the ballroom to handle the business of being a Hollywood star. Leonard and Bernadette watched Penny walk away and then turned to each other, wondering what had just happened. Leonard's heart, he suddenly noticed, was racing. He felt an excitement he hadn't felt in a long time, but, at the same time, he heard a voice deep inside him telling him to throw away that cell number. This is just trouble...right?, he wondered.

Leonard and Bernadette nervously smiled at each other, and after a few moments of silence, Bernadette finally asked,

"Um, you wanna go now, Leonard?"

"I dunno - what do you think? It is getting kind of late - maybe we should, huh?," Leonard offered.

Of course, it really wasn't that late, but the events of the past 15 minutes left Leonard unable to relax and enjoy the party. He had a lot to process. As he and Bernadette jumped in his car at the valet station, he shook his head and then spoke,

"I don't know what to do, Bernie, I really don't. It was so great to see her tonight. It was nice of Penny to invite Chrissy and me to the stables. But..."

Leonard's voice trailed off as he cast a quick glance at Bernadette. Bernie returned a knowing glance and quickly turned her head to look out the side window. Leonard turned on the radio to his favorite station, Go Country 105.1. He shook his head again as he heard Eric Church sing the words to a song that he and Penny had loved back in 2013: "Funny how a melody sounds like a memory..." and the memories suddenly flooded back.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hope you are enjoying this story so far. Oh, and in case you are wondering, I sort of know where I think the story is headed and how I want it to end, but my experience has been that I become more of a passenger than a driver, and the story kind of unfolds even to me as it's written. So, yeah, weirdly, I'm not as in control as you might think. If you've ever written one of these, you may know what I am talking about. Let's see what happens next.**

Chapter 8: Stepping outside the comfort zone

It was Monday afternoon, and Leonard was finishing up some edits to his next PowerPoint presentation to be given at a National Science Foundation conference set for Las Vegas next month. As he hit the "Save" button on his laptop, his eyes were drawn to the small scrap of paper on his desk with the phone number written in Penny's distinctive style.

It had been four days since he'd seen her at the fundraiser, and every time he reached for the phone to call her to arrange a visit for Chrissy to the stables, his whole body tensed up, and he felt a lump in his stomach. Frankly, he was scared about talking with Penny at any length - he knew they might end up talking about the end back in the summer of 2014, and he wasn't sure he was up to it. But he had to admit - he was excited about the prospect of seeing her, being with her again, even if for a little while, and finding out about her new life as a celebrity actress.

In retrospect, as he sat at his desk, it was a little difficult to remember exactly what ended his relationship with Penny 3 years ago. Leonard remembered the arguments and the job stress they were both experiencing.

_He hadn't anticipated how the discoveries on the North Sea trip would have resulted in a new job for him at Cal Tech. He had been excited about what seemed like a promotion, and for a while it was exciting to be the public face of the Hawking discoveries, traveling to new places and experiencing a bit of celebrity himself. But he started being away from Penny a lot and the travel became a strain. And Leonard recalled Penny's own adjustment to her career success. She was being pulled in multiple directions as more and more demands for appearances came along. They had started losing touch with each other._

Well, whatever, it's old news now, Leonard thought. But now what to do? Penny did seem so friendly and sincere the other night.

"Ugghh," he grunted as he argued the point with himself. "But Chrissy would really love visiting the stables, and, well, Penny did make the offer - she didn't have to do it unless she wanted to."

That little scrap of paper from the fundraiser program rested in his hand. Leonard took a deep breath, stared at the phone number and finally blurted out "Oh, fuck it!" to himself, as he reached for his cell phone and entered her cell number. "Here goes nothing," he said as he pressed "Send" on his phone.

He could hear his heart beating as he waited for the connection to go through, half hoping for her voice mail. On the third ring, he heard her voice,

"Hello? Oh, Leonard, it's you!," Penny exclaimed as she looked at the caller ID, "How are you?"

"Good, Penny, really good... how are you?" Leonard answered as his brain kicked into high gear trying to anticipate what she'd say and how he'd reply. His emotions were all over the place - excited, happy, scared, full of doubt. He was totally confused. The thought suddenly came over him: Why am I calling her? This is nuts!

"So, what's up? You callin' about bringing Christine down to the stables?" Penny asked.

"Uh, yeah, if that still works for you... I mean, whenever you think you might have some time," Leonard almost fumbled over the words, "I know this is a busy time of year for you, with the show."

"Yeah, no, it's pretty crazy, but Sunday afternoon is usually my fun time and I try to get to the stables to ride every Sunday," Penny assured him, "and this Sunday I'll be there again, if you and Christine are free - say around 3? Does that work?"

Leonard hesitated as he thought about whether to accept her invitation, although, frankly, he already knew his answer.

"3 o'clock Sunday sounds great - thanks! I know Chrissy will be really excited. It's really nice of you to offer, Penny. Seriously."

"Oh, yeah, absolutely. It'll be fun, and I'll get to meet your daughter! Can't wait," Penny replied.

As Penny talked, Leonard wrote down the directions to the stables and gave Penny his cell number, just in case something came up and she had to cancel.

"OK, then, I guess we'll see you Sunday, Penny," the words tumbled out of Leonard's mouth, as he still was trying to process the idea of seeing his former girlfriend, now the successful Hollywood actress, again. He hung up the phone, put the scrap of paper into his wallet, packed up his laptop, grabbed his sportcoat and turned off his office light. Time to head home. Maybe he'd wait until Sunday morning to tell Chrissy about the stables visit, just in case Penny had to cancel in the meantime. She's a busy woman now and maybe some important meeting might come up and she'd have to reschedule. Who knows? And what are we gonna talk about? Oh brother, he sighed.

The rest of the week would be busy at work, which was good - it would distract him from thinking about Sunday afternoon. Leonard's pulse was still elevated. He'd probably have a hard time sleeping tonight.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: What's It Mean?

It did turn out to be a busy week for Leonard, which was good, because he could tell he was feeling anxious about seeing Penny again on Sunday. Good thing he'd have Chrissy with him - that would help ease the conversation. He kept wondering if Penny would have to call to cancel, but he knew deep down that, despite his anxiety, he'd be really disappointed if he didn't get to visit her at the stables on Sunday afternoon.

Saturday night Raj invited Leonard and Chrissy and Howard, Bernadette and Howard, Jr. over for dinner (Sheldon and Amy were out of town for her aunt's birthday). By Saturday they all knew about his running into Penny at the fundraiser and the invitation to the stables, which would now be the next day.

As the kids watched a cartoon DVD in Raj's bedroom, the adults enjoyed some coffee and dessert in Raj's living room. Howard finally broached the subject that had been crowding the room all night.

"So, Leonard, tomorrow still on with Penny at the stables?"

After a sip of his coffee, Leonard nodded and quietly replied, "Yeah, Chrissy and I are supposed to be there at 3. I haven't told Chrissy yet because I was concerned that Penny might have to cancel at the last minute, and I didn't want my little horse lover to be disappointed. I'll wait till the morning to tell her."

Bernie jumped in, "So, how do you feel about seeing her tomorrow, Leonard? She seemed pretty happy to see you the other night. I was a little surprised that she knew about, you know, Becky and everything - I hadn't seen her to tell her about the accident. So maybe she's been keeping tabs on you a little bit."

Leonard shrugged and said, "I just don't know, Bernie. Yeah, she was very nice the other night - I didn't know what to expect when we walked over to her. I don't know, maybe she's just being polite. I mean, there's been a lot of water under the bridge since we took our temporary break that didn't end. All I can tell you is that when I saw her the other night I felt stuff I hadn't felt in a long time. Does that mean something?"

"I think it means a lot, Leonard," commented Raj, "Besides, it's not like you and Penny are going out on a dinner date. You are just taking Chrissy to the stables. That's pretty low key, like that dating service 'It's Just Lunch'."

"Yeah," joked Howard, "It's Just Horses." The others smiled, and Leonard tried to smile too. But that pit in his stomach was still there, and he wondered what made him so anxious.

Sunday morning Leonard was up earlier than usual. Couldn't sleep anymore. He debated about whether or not to confirm with Penny but finally decided it was best if he confirmed that the visit to the stables was still on...before he told Chrissy.

Leonard looked at the kitchen clock as he made coffee - 6:30 AM. When should he call her to check? She's probably out late on Saturday nights, and he clearly remembered that she was always a late sleeper. Crap. Guess I'll have to wait till late this morning to confirm, he thought.

Chrissy awoke and Leonard fixed her some cereal and toast. A coffee refill and Leonard settled in to read his online Sunday edition of the _New York Times_, as Chrissy amused herself in the living room with her toys. When the phone rang at 9:15 AM Leonard was slightly startled and grabbed his phone from the kitchen countertop.

"Hello?" Leonard answered.

"Hi, Leonard, it's me, Penny! Hope it's not too early to call you," she said.

"No, no, we've been up a while," Leonard assured her.

Sounding unusually perky this early in the morning, Penny replied, "Good. Hey, just wanted to double check to see if this afternoon is still going to work for you and Chrissy."

Smiling as he heard those words, Leonard stood up from the kitchen table, still in his pajamas and bathrobe, "Sure, it's fine with us as long as it still works for you, Penny."

"Yeah, 3 PM works just fine for me. You have the directions and my cell number if you get lost, but it's pretty easy to find. When you arrive, just go in the office and tell them you are here to see me. I'll have you on a list so they know you aren't the paparazzi or something, and they'll page me. Sound good?"

"That sounds great, Penny, " Leonard responded. "We'll see you later. Bye."

With that, Leonard went to tell Chrissy about their afternoon plans at the horse stables. He wondered if Penny was planning to get him on a horse, too. Leonard wasn't a big fan of horses. He remembered the summer camp of his youth, Camp Tivoli, where all the campers would have to sign up for periodic horseback riding. The counselors used to love to tell stories about horses and the woods and scary things (it took years for Leonard to come to realize that the stories were mostly made up stuff to thrill or scare the campers). Anyway, the camp had something they called the "Hit the Ground Club", which membership was granted to any camper that managed to fall off his horse while riding through the woods. Leonard came close a few times, and it didn't help him become less fearful of horses. But if Penny asked him to ride, well, he couldn't look like a chicken in front of her and Chrissy.

By now it was 11 AM. Straighten up the kitchen, give the car a quick wash and then get Chrissy and himself ready for the trip to the stables. He could feel his pulse quicken again.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Stables

It was a 25 minute ride to the stables where Penny would meet them. Chrissy, to be sure, was very excited to get to see horses up close. Of course, she'd never met Penny before, who Leonard would explain was an old friend of his. The weather was perfect that Sunday afternoon as Leonard eased onto the freeway for the trip - traffic was fairly light, for a change.

He followed the directions from the notes he'd written based on Penny's explanation. Even super IQ Leonard had been having trouble figuring out the complex navigation system in his new car.

"Whoever designed this thing ignored all the rules of logic," Leonard complained to himself as he shook his head.

"Are we lost, Daddy?" Chrissy asked from the back seat.

"No, we aren't lost - I have the directions right here on this piece of paper, Sweetie," Leonard assured her.

Satisfied with her father's answer, Chrissy then returned to asking questions about the stables and how many horses there were, etc.

Finally he found the side road that Penny said needed a right turn to arrive at the stables, and as he made the turn he could see a large building up ahead. Lots of open land lead up to the entrance with white fencing providing a solid barrier to the property.

"Idlewood Equestrian Center and Stables," Leonard read the large black on white sign that hung over the driveway. "This is the place - we're here, Chrissy."

He could feel his heart rate increasing as he entered through the main gates of the stables and pulled over to the right in front of the office, a small wooden building that hadn't seen paint in a while. It looked like something from the set of a a Hollywood Western. He and Chrissy walked through the opened door to the front desk, where a gruff, older man of about 65 looked up from his paperwork.

"Can I help you?" the man asked.

"Yes, my name is Dr. Leonard Hofstadter, and this is my daughter, Christine. We're, uh, we're here to see someone...um, her name is Penny..." Leonard's response was cut short by the man at the desk.

"Yeah, you're on the list. She's been expecting you. Hold on a second." With that the man grabbed a two way radio and barked into it to someone named Cal. Leonard could barely make out Cal's response but it sounded like he would find Penny and let her know.

The man looked back over the top of his half glasses at Leonard, standing there holding Chrissy's hand. "She'll be up here in a minute," he said as he returned his gaze to the papers on the counter in front of him.

Leonard feigned a smile and responded, "OK, thanks." He also wondered if he was supposed to have dressed a certain way for this visit - maybe cowboy-looking or something. Growing up as somewhat of an outcast because of his smarts and his total lack of athletic ability, Leonard was very sensitive to trying to blend in. He recalled years ago when he tried to blend in with Penny's football group at her apartment, wearing that ridiculous red football jersey that Sheldon remarked looked like a cocktail dress. Today, though, he went with an older pair of blue jeans, a button-down short sleeve shirt and his beloved high-top sneakers. It would have to do.

It was only a few minutes but it seemed like forever as Leonard and Chrissy waited in the office. The office wasn't fancy, for sure. But there were lots of interesting framed photos on the walls of horse owners with their horses. One picture in particular struck Leonard, as it pictured a young blond woman on her horse in a mid air shot as horse and rider cleared some kind of barricade.

Boy, that looks dangerous, Leonard thought, I hope I'm not watching Chrissy do that some day.

The man at the front desk caught Leonard examining the picture.

"Yeah, that's her...that's Penny. She's become a pretty good rider."

Leonard smiled back at the man, acknowledging his comment. Wow, he thought, I guess she really is into this.

He suddenly heard a car's tires on the gravel in front of the office - it was one of those little Mini-Coopers, its shiny black finish somewhat dulled by a light coating of road dust. A cloud of dust drifted off off behind the car as it came to an abrupt stop. Fast driver, Leonard thought.

He was about to turn back around to look at the man behind the counter when he caught sight of the Mini's driver exiting the car - it was Penny! She was dressed in dark blue jeans, riding boots, long sleeve light brown shirt, and sporting aviator-style sunglasses. Her hair was pulled back in a pony tail, not much make-up - she looked terrific, as always. Leonard and Chrissy turned and headed out the front door, as Leonard offered a small wave at Penny. Penny's face brightened and returned the wave with a wide smile.

"Hi, you guys!" Penny proclaimed. "Welcome to my home away from home! And you...you must be Chrissy, right?" Leonard's daughter smiled and nodded enthusiastically.

"Well, my real name is Christine, but a lot of people just call me Chrissy," the little girl announced.

Penny bent down and said, "My middle name is Christine. I think it's a pretty name."

Chrissy replied, "And my middle name is Rebecca, from my mom. But she died."

Penny nodded knowingly, stood back up, and smiled at Leonard, "Oh Leonard, she is adorable. You must be so proud."

Leonard smiled, "Yeah, well, I wish I could take credit for her, but she's all Becky, for sure."

"OK, well, the stables are just down the road a bit, so I thought we'd jump in my car and just take a quick ride back there. How's that sound?" Penny asked.

Leonard gave Penny a quick thumbs up, buckled Chrissy in the back seat and jumped in front right seat as Penny started up the car. Sitting next to his old girlfriend in the Mini, Leonard noticed that he was feeling just a little more at ease somehow. She seemed so much like the woman he had known back at Los Robles Apartments - not so Hollywood looking as the _People_ magazine cover, but still totally beautiful. Leonard had no idea what to expect from the afternoon but, despite his anxiety, it felt really good to see her again. He allowed himself to inhale, as if he could finally breath again.

"Hold on, you two, here we go!" announced Penny as she accelerated the Mini Cooper down the dirt road. Well, her driving style hasn't changed, Leonard thought. He gripped the door handle, which Penny spotted, causing her to laugh that familiar laugh. Leonard offered a smile back and then turned his view out the side window as he noticed the horses and riders out for their Sunday exercises.

It was a short, bumpy ride down the road and then a quick turn , stopping in front of a building marked "North Stables." Leonard jumped out and unbuckled Chrissy's seat belt and helped her out. By this point Penny was standing in front of the car, waiting to take them on a tour of the stables and a short walk around the grounds.

Leonard was surprised at how at ease Penny seemed, both today and that Thursday at the fundraiser, as he remembered how awful their last months together were back in 2014. It almost made it more awkward today. Leonard kept wondering in his head, What am I going to say to her?... what's she going to say to me?... why'd she even invite us down here today?... why did I accept?

The conversation was light and focused a lot on Chrissy, who was, Leonard assumed, the reason for the invitation. After the tour of the stables, Penny stopped at one of the stalls at the far end of the building. The sign above the stall gate said "Razzmatazz".

"Meet one of my horses, Razzmatazz," Penny proudly exclaimed.

The horse, a medium brown with some white on her lower legs, was really beautiful...and big. The smell in the stables and the sight of the horse right in front of Leonard brought back memories from summer camp and those scary rides on the horses.

"And next door here is my other horse, Nebraska Girl - I guess you can figure out where that name came from!" Penny smiled.

"Wow, you have TWO horses," Chrissy shouted, "Daddy, she has TWO horses."

Leonard and Penny looked at each other and laughed.

"So, Chrissy, would you like to take a short ride on one of my horses? Leonard, don't worry, it's safe - I'll be walking the horse," Penny assured him. "Which horse would you like to ride?"

"I want to ride the one with the funny name," Chrissy decided.

"OK, Razzmatazz it is," replied Penny as she walked over to grab a saddle and prepare the horse for the ride.

A short time later, Chrissy was loving being on the horse. As he and Penny walked along with Chrissy high up on Razzmatazz, he couldn't help but wonder what thoughts were going on in Penny's head right now. It was easy talking with her about normal stuff - where they each were living now, how Penny's TV show was doing, what it was like being in a successful show, and Penny seemed interested in hearing about Leonard's job as Cal Tech's promoter of research and his traveling. And, of course, Penny gently asked about Becky, again offering her condolences and curious about her and the life that Leonard had shared with Becky for what turned out to be a very short time.

Leonard beamed as he watched his daughter enjoying her moment... escorted by the woman that, two weeks ago, he would not have imagined he'd be seeing today...after these three long years.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: A Bite to Eat and a Revelation

With Chrissy's ride concluded and Razzmatazz back in her stall, Leonard and Penny were continuing their light banter. Leonard didn't forget to mention his discovery at LAX.

"Congratulations on that _People_ article and cover,", Leonard finally said, "I was picking up a bottled water at the airport when I saw it. Very cool."

"Oh, you saw it, huh?" Penny grinned. "Well, I gotta be honest, it was a little, well, sort of embarrassing. I didn't know anything about it until my agent called me about two days before it came out. I mean, what to you say about something like that? Top ten Hollywood beauties - please. But it's nice to be noticed!"

Leonard knew it wasn't false modesty on Penny's part. Despite the impression she sometimes gave, deep down she didn't think she was that pretty. But he could tell she appreciated his mentioning it.

"Yeah, well, I just had to buy the magazine and read the article on the way home from the airport. Gee, I guess I should get your autograph, huh?" Leonard laughed.

"Don't start that celebrity stuff with me, Leonard Hofstadter!" Penny jokingly rebuked him, "I'm still me...Penny."

Leonard was about to respond when Chrissy grabbed his arm to get his attention.

"Daddy, I'm hungry. Can we get something to eat?"

Leonard looked over at Penny, "I guess I better get her to a McDonalds or something. I'm afraid we didn't get that much to eat before we came today."

"Oh, OK, well there's a cute little place just a mile from here. They have burgers and stuff. You were so nice to come down today - let me treat you to dinner," Penny smiled as she looked first at Chrissy and then at Leonard.

Leonard wasn't sure what to do. Should he politely pass and conclude the visit with Penny, or... but he knew he wasn't ready to say goodbye yet.

"Well, are you sure we're not messing up your plans for later?" Leonard looked at Penny for some confirmation that she was really sincere.

"No plans at all later, actually, and, to tell you the truth, I'm kind of hungry myself," declared Penny. "Let's go!"

Leonard and Chrissy waited in his car as he watched Penny, now sitting on the edge of the driver's seat of her car with her legs facing out, change out of her riding boots into a pair of sandals. Tossing her boots in the back seat, she started up her car, and Leonard followed her to the restaurant.

The restaurant was fairly quiet but the owner, who knew Penny, put them at a back corner table where it was less likely that Penny might be noticed, although the locals were generally polite and didn't bother her much. As Chrissy played with some crayons and paper kindly provided by the restaurant, Penny and Leonard touched their wine glasses with a mutual "Cheers!"

"Thanks for the afternoon, Penny," Leonard said. "Really sweet of you to invite us."

Penny smiled back at Leonard, momentarily casting a glance at Chrissy coloring away. After another sip of wine, she looked a little more serious.

"I'm, uh, I'm really glad you accepted my invitation, Leonard," Penny replied. She briefly looked past Leonard around the restaurant, trying to gather her thoughts and then continued, "To be honest, I wasn't sure you would. You know, with everything and how our, you know, temporary break didn't end, and since then, my career, your career, your...life. So much has happened."

Leonard refilled their wine glasses and took another long sip as he tried to figure out what to say.

"I know, Penny, I know," Leonard said as he stared at the deep red color in his wine glass.

He put down his glass, his right hand resting on the table. At that, Penny's left hand touched his right hand and she smiled tentatively, looking for an affirmation from Leonard that he was OK with her touch.

He suddenly felt that fight or flight response again that someone feels when running away seems like the right move. He inhaled slowly and deeply to avoid getting lightheaded. He hoped he wouldn't need his asthma inhaler. But at the same time he was glad she reached out with her hand. Leonard kept his right hand where it was, covered by her hand.

Leonard then decided to take advantage of the moment and clear the air a little.

"Penny, it's way overdue... I'm sorry about how things ended. I don't know what happened. When I got back from the North Sea that summer, everything seemed so good. And you got that movie part. It just seemed like everything was falling into place. And then..." Leonard's voice trailed off.

Chrissy continued to make her drawings of the horses and the stables. Leonard glance over at the drawing Chrissy was intently finishing, holding the yellow crayon to use for Penny's hair color. Looking back at Penny, Leonard chose his words carefully.

"That was a rough year for me after we split - I didn't stop thinking about you, but I didn't know what to do. I guess I finally decided that we couldn't make it work. That's when I met Becky and Chrissy," Leonard swirled his wine glass as he shared his thoughts.

He continued, "I know you and I both had our issues, but I had always thought we'd overcome them. I guess the stress of our new career opportunities was too much to overcome."

"It wasn't all your fault, Sweetie; we both created that mess," Penny confided as she finished her wine. "What has always bothered me is that we had invested so much over 7 years...and let it end like that. You shouldn't carry that burden by yourself. I screwed up too."

Penny struggled to explain her feelings. After a moment's silence, she continued.

"These past three years - gosh, it seems a lot more than that right now - have been eye-opening for me," Penny's voice dropped to almost a whisper. "The movie role was one thing, but episodic weekly TV production...man, it's a killer. I mean, I love acting, but I think I am learning that I don't want it to be my entire life. This business can really suck the life out of you. I've already know three young actors who couldn't handle the fame, the demands, the damn paparazzi. It literally killed them. I don't want that to be my story."

Leonard offered a knowing half-smile, "Yeah, well, I'm not a celebrity like you, but I think I know what you are talking about. On that last flight home from London I had that same conversation with myself... the stress of travel and...and being away from Chrissy so much. I can't get that time back, and she needs me. I don't have an answer for that yet, but the question of my career and how I'll balance everything... well, I need to address it."

The meal was finished and by now Chrissy was cuddled on Leonard's lap asleep. Leonard glanced at his watch - 8:15 PM.

"Looks like you have someone to get home and to bed," Penny smiled.

"Yeah, we better get going. It's been a great day, Penny, for both Chrissy and me. I gotta say I was nervous about coming today. I didn't know what it would be like spending time with you again after 3 years. But I'm glad we came. Thanks."

Out in the parking lot, Leonard gingerly placed Chrissy in the back seat and buckled her in. He gently closed the rear door and turned to say goodbye to Penny, who was standing behind him holding the crayon drawing that Chrissy had given her earlier. She spoke first.

"So, um, Leonard," Penny nervously fumbled for the right words, "you think you might want to do this again sometime, you know, like get together and catch up some more? I've, um, I've... oh crap... dammit," Penny muttered to herself in frustration, trying to get the words out the way she wanted. Hesitating and then clearing her throat, Penny's face changed as she spoke, barely containing her emotion, " I've missed you, Honey. I've really missed you... so much."

With that admission, Penny looked down at her keys in her right hand, not sure what else to say.

Leonard's head was swimming with the thoughts of seeing Penny again and memories of the past, and how long and how hard he had fought to win her heart - all those years. He thought they'd finally had it figured out, and then the whole thing went to hell three years ago. And things for him were different now - he had Chrissy to think about. She was part of any relationship equation. How would that work, he wondered.

"Penny, I've missed you too. We had a lot of great times together," Leonard responded, his heart pounding in his chest as he finished his answer, "I really appreciate your asking. It's just... I guess I need some time to think about it. I hope you understand."

Unlike those early days at Los Robles apartments when Penny was the reluctant one, this time it was different. Leonard wasn't trying to play hard to get. He just didn't know if he could afford another heart ache with the woman that had meant so much to him for so long.

As Leonard gave Penny a kiss on her cheek, Penny nodded that she understood. She climbed in her Mini, and Leonard tried to manage a smile as he closed her car door. With a wave, he walked back to his car and started it. Leonard felt a twinge in his gut. Had he said the right thing? The words he had just spoken echoed in his head, "I guess I need some time to think about it." Now he was completely confused.

In the darkness of the early evening Penny pulled away from the parking lot, reaching into the glovebox with her right hand for the tissues. She took a deep breath. Her eyes welled up as she wondered if she'd ever see him again.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Leonard's Dilemma

Monday morning found Leonard unrested as he turned off the alarm on his cell phone and put on his glasses. After returning last night from the visit to the stables and dinner with Penny, he felt so tired that he was sure he'd get a full night sleep. But after nodding off quickly in bed, he kept waking up during the night. Balls, he grunted as he lay there in bed!

He shifted as best he could into workday mode, getting his sleepy daughter up to get ready for school and preparing for the week ahead at Cal Tech. He still had some backlogged work to catch up on since returning from London.

Lunchtime at his office came quickly, as his office phone rang with a call from Howard to meet at the cafeteria at 12:30 PM. Leonard was looking forward to seeing Howard, Raj and Sheldon at lunch, but he wasn't sure what he'd say about yesterday with Penny. Frankly, he hadn't sorted out his own thoughts about the day and Penny's final words that night about getting together again, so Leonard wasn't sure how much detail on the day he wanted to share yet. Actually, he wasn't really all that hungry at the moment - his stomach was still in knots from the goodbye at the restaurant last night.

What he really wanted to do was talk it out with Bernadette. Of all of his close friends, she was the best listener and sounding board for matters of the heart, in Leonard's view. Sure, Bernie could get a little harsh when she got impatient, but she always made you feel like she heard you when you needed help. And she often had good advice. She probably could have been a very good psychotherapist, Leonard thought, well, except for her occasional temper.

When Leonard arrived in the cafeteria, Howard, Raj and Sheldon were already seated. Leonard knew Sheldon wouldn't have much to say or ask about yesterday - yeah, Sheldon had become a little more compassionate than he used to be, but he was still pretty self-centered.

"Soooooo...," Howard drew out the word slowly for effect, "how did it go yesterday? What did she say? What happened? Give us the dirt, Leonard!"

"Dirt?" Leonard furrowed his eyebrows as he answered, shaking his head, "there's no dirt, Howard. We had a nice time. Chrissy got to ride on a horse, and, you know, Penny looked great. She seems pretty happy. I mean, she's a big Hollywood star now, right?"

"Does she want to get back together, Leonard?" Raj asked as he enjoyed a large piece of carrot cake for dessert.

"What?" Leonard barked, "Get back together? Hey, this was just a nice little outing to get Chrissy a horseback ride. I don't know what to tell you."

It was obvious to Howard and Raj (Sheldon was playing with his new phone and wasn't, as usual, paying attention) that Leonard wasn't in a mood to share the details. They weren't sure what, but something else was going on with Leonard. Seeing that this line of questioning wasn't going to go anywhere, Howard and Raj changed the subject to some questionable research that Kripke was working on. Leonard was pretty quiet after that and quickly headed back to his office after finishing what he could of his lunch.

The afternoon for Leonard went by quickly, but he was distracted in his work by his personal thoughts. It was 4:30 PM when he reached for his office phone and dialed Bernadette's office number.

"Bernadette Wolowitz", she answered.

"Hi, Bernie, it's Leonard," he replied.

"Hey, what's up, Leonard," Bernie asked, "should I ask how it went yesterday?"

"Yeah, no, it, uh, it went well, I think," Leonard said, "Penny seemed very friendly - I wasn't sure how she'd feel, you know? And we had a nice visit. Even grabbed dinner afterward. So,..."

"So? So now what, Leonard?" Bernie probed, "do you think you'll see each other again, or what? I mean, if you don't mind my asking."

"Bernie, I gotta tell you, I am kind of confused about the whole thing right now. I'm trying to sort it out, based on yesterday. Some things came up in our conversation yesterday - I didn't mention them to the guys at lunch today, so Howard doesn't really know yet. But I was hoping maybe I could chat with you about it - maybe over lunch sometime this week? I value your opinion, Bernie - you've always been a great listener and advisor, so to speak," admitted Leonard.

"Sure, of course, Leonard - how's tomorrow - noon - the usual place?" Bernadette offered.

"That would be great, Bernie - thanks," Leonard said, "and, if you wouldn't mind, maybe not say anything to Howard until after you and I talk tomorrow. I don't want him to feel bad that I shut him out, but I just wasn't prepared to try to explain it to the guys at lunch today. I need to sort this out more."

"Of course, Sweetie," assured Bernadette. "Let's meet tomorrow and see what's going on in that brainiac head of yours. Try not to worry, Leonard. One way or the other, I believe there is a reason that you two ran into each other at that fundraiser. Try to relax, and we'll talk tomorrow. I can fill in Howard when it's appropriate. See you tomorrow."

Leonard said goodbye and ended the call. He felt a wave of relief, knowing that he would be able to unburden himself a bit tomorrow with Bernie. What he would do about seeing Penny again was a big decision and he needed a friend's input. Penny seemed so sincere about a follow up visit - it had taken Leonard by surprise. And when she told him that she had missed him so much. He had wanted to just hold her and kiss her and tell her, yes, yes, let's get together again.

But there were almost opposite feelings, too, that told him to tell her he couldn't afford the heart ache again. Would another try, a Leonard & Penny 3.0 or 4.0 or whatever beta or alpha it might be, would it go down in flames too? It was so hard to tell her that he needed to think about it, but it was probably the right thing to say - it would give him time that he really needed to think about it.

As he exited the building, found his car and started it up, another song on the country radio station was playing that made Leonard almost laugh. It was a Brad Paisley tune about love and the poor odds of success, equating it to a trip on an airplane that had a 60% chance of crashing. Leonard joined in on the chorus as Brad sang the words, "If love was a plane, nobody'd get on."

Leonard's Subaru made a right out of the parking lot as he headed home to see Chrissy, with his babysitter, Ann, waiting to fill Leonard in on how Chrissy's day went. OK, Leonard, he thought, try to relax and enjoy the evening. Bernie will be able to help tomorrow.

"If love was a plane...," Leonard hummed as entered the freeway, wondering what the future would bring.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Leonard's and Bernadette's Lunch

Leonard's Tuesday morning was filled with meetings. At his last AM meeting he rechecked his watch several times to make sure he wouldn't be late for lunch with Bernie. Finally the meeting ended at 11:40AM, leaving him just enough time to get to the cafe by noon if traffic wasn't too bad. He had been anxiously anticipating the time with her so he could talk about what was twisting him up inside about Penny.

Bernadette was already seated when Leonard, somewhat winded, walked in.

"Sorry I'm a few minutes late, Bernie," Leonard apologized, "hope I didn't keep you waiting long."

"No problem, Leonard, I was a few minutes late myself," Bernadette assured him. "So what's cookin', anyway? I guess there are a few things you want to talk about regarding your afternoon at the stables?"

As he sat at the table, Leonard looked down briefly at the menu. They both ordered their meals and returned to their conversation.

"Yeah, definitely," Leonard confirmed. "It's still kind of weird, seeing Penny again at the event and then she, Chrissy and I spending time together on Sunday. I'm not sure I've totally got a handle on it, or maybe even why I am so confused about my feelings."

Bernadette decided to focus the discussion, "So you mentioned that Penny said some things to you that were kind of important. Can we talk about what she said? Maybe that will be a good place to start."

"OK, here goes," Leonard took a deep breath and continued, "She was really nice when we arrived at the stables - really happy to see me. I kind of didn't expect it. She was great with Chrissy, and Chrissy was just thrilled with the horse back ride. We talked while we toured the stables and when Chrissy was on the horse - you know, just casual stuff...catching up.

"We ended up getting some dinner at a nearby restaurant - I sure didn't expect that, but I was glad that Penny wanted to extend our time together. Then I finally decided to say something to her about how things ended three years ago...I apologized."

"And what did she say?" Bernie asked as she looked up from her salad.

"Well, she said it wasn't my fault alone...that we both messed up," Leonard responded. "And then she talked about the struggles of being a busy actress and the toll it takes and that she doesn't want to end up like some actors who get consumed by the business. She's looking for some balance in her life.

Leonard continued, "I basically told her I'd had similar thoughts, especially being away from Chrissy so much on these Cal Tech trips...all this basically public relations stuff to raise money for the university. It's not what I came to Cal Tech to do."

"And then it was getting a bit late and Chrissy was asleep on my lap, so we finished up," explained Leonard. "But just as we were saying goodbye, Penny asked me if we could see each other again and how much she missed me. Bernie, at this point, I felt...well, I'm not exactly sure what I felt, or maybe why I felt it, but I know my heart was racing and I was excited. And scared."

"What did you say in response, Leonard?", Bernie asked as she leaned forward to hear Leonard's answer.

Leonard finished his Diet Coke, his eyes looking down at the table cloth, and finally looked up and said, "Bernie, I told her I needed time to think about it. I could see the disappointment in her eyes, and I felt even worse. But...I'm scared, Bernie, I'm just scared."

Leonard continued, "That last fight, the separation, I don't know that I could go through that again with her. There is no doubt...none...I still love that woman. But I also have a daughter now. It's not just me that could get hurt if this doesn't work out. That's a big difference from before, you know?"

"Well, of course, my story with Howard isn't the same, but with Howard, Jr. now, I totally get the worry about things not working out and the effect on your child," Bernie replied, "Don't get me wrong - things are good with Howard, but I do understand how a child affects...well, everything. And, by the way, you've been a terrific father, Leonard! I am so proud of you."

"Well, thanks for that," Leonard smiled. "I love being a dad, but it's really hard work."

Bernie thought about it a minute or two and spoke, "You know I can't tell you what to do, Leonard. Wish I could, but it has to be your decision to make. But you've asked me for my input, and for what it's worth, I'll give it to you."

She went on, "Penny is a wonderful person. You are a wonderful person. You both seem, or seemed, like a good match. Partly because you aren't exactly the same - you have different backgrounds and different interests. You're more book-smart and she's more street-smart...that's a good combination, I think. But, deep down, you share similar values...that's different than interests. Values go to the core of your being. And you guys match up real good there."

"So, what are you saying, Bernie?" Leonard was leaning forward to the edge of his chair, anxious for more of her insights.

"Well, as I see it, and, hey, I may be wrong about all of this, Leonard," Bernadette cautioned, "but you have both grown up a lot in the past three years. Good grief, Leonard, you've been through a lot since 2014, both good and real bad. I've seen you mature."

Bernie added, "Sadly, Penny and I lost touch - maybe we can get that back again - so I am not as able to comment on her life, but from the trajectory of her career and what you've shared of your conversations with her on Sunday, it sounds like she's matured, too. After only a few years in the spotlight, it sounds like she's rethinking what's important to her."

"Hmmm, OK, I appreciate your perspective, Bernadette," Leonard replied, "Thanks. I guess I have to figure out if I am willing to take the risk with Penny."

"Look, I'm not saying you should or shouldn't try again - I can't take that responsibility," Bernie said. "And, no question, Leonard and Penny three years later is a risk...absolutely. All I am saying, Leonard, is that, if you decide you want another relationship...it's going to involve risk, whether it's Penny or someone else. And darling little Chrissy will always be part of the decision. That's all I'm saying."

Leonard and Bernie sat there quietly for a moment as Leonard digested Bernie's words. They then both looked at their watches - lunch ran a little long, and they both needed to get back to their offices.

Bernie smiled at him and said, "Leonard, I don't know if I've helped any. I hope I did. I know you have to think all this through, but know that you can call me, or Howard, if you need to talk more. If you don't mind, I'll recap our lunch with Howard tonight and explain why you didn't bring it up at lunch with him. He'll be OK with it."

"Thanks so much, Bernie, "Leonard replied. "This absolutely helped me. I feel better about things. I do need to give it a bit more thought, but you've helped me for sure."

With that, Leonard paid the tab and they both hurried out of the cafe to get back to their offices to finish up the day.

As Leonard started up his car, he felt a sense of relief. He wasn't sure what it would mean yet, but he was more confident that he'd make the right decision about Penny.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: The Late Friday Call

It was Friday afternoon and Bernadette was finishing paperwork in her office, looking forward to a weekend with her husband and young son. It had been a long week, punctuated by Tuesday's lunch with Leonard when he asked her to help him figure out what to do about Penny's invitation to get together again. But Friday, and the work week, were now almost over, and Bernie was ready to go home.

It was 4:45 PM when Bernadette's office phone rang. Damn, she thought, now what? She was tempted to let the call go to voicemail, but she wasn't sure if it was her boss. The phone system didn't always provide a caller ID - just "Outside Caller", so she couldn't tell, and her boss was out of the building today. He sometimes had a habit of calling her late on Friday to see, she was convinced, if she was still there.

With a grunt, she picked up the phone.

"Bernadette Wolowitz, may I help you?" Bernie's impatience was evident in her somewhat shrill tone.

A rather meek voice replied, "Hi, it's me, Bernie...it's Penny."

Bernadette, who had been standing at her desk when she picked up the phone, took a deep breath and slowly sat down at her desk again.

"Penny, hi, how are you?" Bernie asked, "what's going on? Are you OK?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Penny answered, "I mean, I'm fine. Is this a bad time to call? Oh, crap, it's a quarter to five - sorry, I didn't realize it was this late. You're probably just leaving."

Bernie sensed something in Penny's voice and assured her, "No, it's no problem, I wasn't ready to leave just yet. It's nice to hear your voice. It was good to see you at the fundraiser a couple weeks ago. It had been a long time. Oh, and congratulations on that _People_ article. That's totally amazing... I mean, I'm not surprised you were selected, but it's pretty cool. Sounds like things are going great for you now."

"Yeah, thanks. It was a nice compliment to get selected and be on the cover," Penny acknowledged. Silence followed.

Bernie wasn't sure what to say but tried, " Penny, you sound upset. Are you? Talk to me, Honey."

"I'm so sorry, Bernie, that we lost touch. It's my fault. Things just kind of got out of control after that Lifetime Movie thing took off," Penny sniffled, with her voice sounding like she'd been crying.

"Oh, Penny, it's OK. I mean, I got real busy too, with my job, with my marriage, with our child - he's grown a lot since you saw him when he was a newborn. It's OK... really."

"We need to see each other again, Bernie. I want to make time to do that, if you want," Penny declared. "I really miss you."

"I miss you too, Penny," Bernie replied, reaching for a tissue. Bernie sensed there was more to Penny's call, but she didn't know what, although she guessed that Leonard had something to do with it.

Penny continued, "Um, I have another reason for calling. I guess you'd say I'm trying to reconnect with people that mean a lot to me, and I also wanted to talk to you about Leonard. Do you have a few minutes?"

Although Bernadette was tired after a long week, this was important - Penny needed to talk to her, so Bernie took off her jacket, closed her office door for privacy, and sat back in her chair, prepared to have probably a similar conversation to the one she'd had only three days ago with Leonard. Well, at least Bernie had a pretty good idea how to counsel Penny, having already "rehearsed" it with Leonard, if Penny's conversation went in the same direction as Leonard's. Bernie guessed what was coming.

"Bernadette, I guess you know that Leonard and I got together recently... at the stables where I ride," Penny remarked.

"Yes, Leonard told me," Bernie confirmed. "He said it was a nice visit and you really gave his daughter a memorable day!"

"Yeah, she's such a cutie pie," exclaimed Penny, "and seeing Leonard as a father was quite a trip. He seems to have really taken to his role as a dad."

Penny continued, "Sweetie, let me cut to the chase. I was so happy to see Leonard again. I know what happened three years ago was my fault as much as his, maybe even more my fault, but I was devastated when we broke up. I didn't think our break would become permanent. Thinking back to the beginning, I'll never know why Leonard stuck with me so long. I didn't treat him well - let me just put that out there. I understand why he said we should take a break..." Penny's voice trailed off.

"Penny, you were both going through stressful new jobs...sometimes things just happen," Bernie tried to comfort Penny. "What about Leonard now? What is it that you want?"

There was a long pause before Penny responded, slowly, concentrating on each word, "I want... one more chance... with him, Bernie. Just one more chance to see if there is enough there between us to make it work, and I think we can make it work! I love him...I always have."

"So, how can I help, Penny?" Bernadette wasn't actually sure what she could say at this point.

"Bernie, I'm not sure. I guess I just wanted to tell you how I feel about him. I think I've changed in the past three years. I'm a lot clearer about what's important to me - I don't want to become a slave to the studios. And I think it's possible to have a good career but with some balance, and with someone...with him...with Leonard. That's what I want."

"That's good, Penny," Bernie tried to reassure her friend, "it's important to know what you really want, and what's important to you. And it sounds like you do."

"I know, but there's a problem. I asked Leonard if he wanted to get together again," Penny said, "but he..., um, well, he told me he'd have to think about it. I didn't expect him to say that...I really didn't. Maybe I should have. Or maybe it was a mistake to even invite him and Chrissy to the stables. What was I thinking? Maybe he's... maybe he's just over me, Bernie. Maybe it's too late, in Leonard's mind. Maybe I'm too late."

Penny fell silent, and Bernie sensed she might be crying.

Bernie took a deep breath, paused to gather her thoughts, and gave Penny essentially the same talk she had just recently given Leonard...about how they are both wonderful people, who always seemed to be well suited for each other, who love each other, and whose core values are the same.

"Penny," Bernie said, recalling what she'd told Leonard at their lunch, "I can't tell you what to do or whether you and Leonard will work out. But you've both been through a lot in the past three years. I know Leonard's matured a lot through his job, his marriage, the loss of his wife so quickly, and raising a daughter by himself. And it sounds like you've matured, too, Sweetie."

"At the risk of sticking my nose in here, but since you've asked me," Bernie paused, "I guess I'd say you need to talk to him one more time. He didn't say 'No', right? He just said he needed to think about it. That's about the only advice I can offer, Penny. Call him."

There was more silence. Then Penny spoke.

"Thanks, Bernie. I really appreciate it. That helps. Did you ever know such a complicated couple?" Penny nervously laughed, wiping some more tears from her eyes.

Bernie thought to herself, for sure, I never have! Ever!

"Listen, pack up and go home now, Bernie, I've kept you at work too long. I'm sorry," Penny concluded.

"You gonna be OK?" Bernie inquired. "Call me when you can and let me know what happens with Leonard, after you talk to him."

"I promise, Bernie," answered Penny, now sounding more upbeat. "And we'll make plans to get together - can't wait to see Howard, Jr."

With that, the two old friends said their goodbyes. Bernie called Howard to explain her delay in getting home.

Penny grabbed her coat and handbag and exited her dressing room at the studios. As she closed the door to her dressing room, she stared briefly at the shiny brass star emblem on the door, just below her name. She had become the big deal TV actress that she had dreamed of and that had compelled her to pack up her things into that old car of hers and leave Nebraska what seemed like a lifetime ago.

She turned away from the door and started down the hall. She shook her head as she thought about the good things and not so good things in her life.

"I'm not going to be defined only by my acting career any more," she promised herself, "I need something else. Maybe, she thought, the place to start was another conversation with the Cal Tech experimental physicist whom she still loved. But what she didn't know was whether he was willing to take another chance on her.


	15. Chapter 15

**Here it is - the second to last chapter. Some life-changing decisions are made, while others hang in the balance.**

Chapter 15: Changes

It had been almost two weeks since Leonard's visit with her at the stables, and a week since she'd had that late day phone call with Bernadette. It was Friday afternoon, next episode taping was finished, and a long week was, as they say, in the can. Penny was in her dressing room changing into her "street" clothes. For the past week Bernadette's advice for Penny to "Call him" was to Penny like a toothache - it was hard to concentrate on anything else, and she wished she could get rid of it.

But Penny couldn't bring herself to dial Leonard's number. She thought back to that first date with Leonard way back when and Sheldon's pseudo-advice about "Schrodinger's Cat." She had never been sure she understood the metaphor, but it seemed like what Sheldon meant was that you won't know what's in the box until you open it - that seemed simple enough.

But not opening the box also meant not finding out that the cat was dead, or in Penny's case, not finding out that Leonard's feelings for her were dead. Once the box is opened, well, the truth will be known. And the way Leonard had left it that night at the restaurant - that he'd have to think about it - for Penny it cut like a knife.

There were plenty of reasons to just let it go. Let's face it, she thought, he's probably moved on... well, he did move on - he got married and he has a daughter. He's done with me, she argued. She was just scared of the answer, so she put off asking him the question. If he was interested, she tried to convince herself, he'd call. And he hasn't.

Across town, at Cal Tech's Experimental Physics Department, Dr. Leonard Hofstadter was back in his old lab, the lab he hardly visited anymore in his newer role as "ambassador" for the university, trading on his fame from the North Sea discoveries to help boost Cal Tech's endowment fund. There were a couple of grad students in his lab, and Leonard had stopped by to see what they were working on. He missed the work he used to do. This was where the "fun" was for him.

And Leonard suffered from indecision about what to do with Penny's invitation to get together again. He was scared. Damn, life seemed pretty OK before he saw her at that stupid fundraiser, he thought. It wasn't that he hadn't thought about her...after Becky died Leonard couldn't help but think about Penny again - of course it was hard not to be reminded of her, with the TV show and the interviews and, oh yeah, those annoying online so-called "news stories" and photos of her. He felt bad for her getting bothered by those paparazzi guys. When he saw pictures or videos of her being hounded by those sleazy photographers, he felt a strong desire to protect her somehow.

Over that weekend Penny kept busy with some parties Friday and Saturday night and, during the day on Saturday she found some time to renew her interest in tennis - she had a lot of pent-up nervous energy that needed to be released. Before heading to the stables for her Sunday afternoon riding, she sat at her kitchen table pondering two new TV commercials she was being offered, and another movie script. She had done commercials before which she actually enjoyed, but these commercials were for products she didn't really have good feelings about. And the movie script, after a second read, was...well it was awful. Her TV show, on the other hand, was doing very well and Penny loved that the writing was intelligent. That show for her was fun. Those other demands on her time weren't.

She really felt deep down that she had to dial it back, despite pressure from her agent to "get it while you can." But, how many movies, commercials, etc. can you do in the same year, she questioned? She knew there was something, someone missing from her life, and the pace of her current work was robbing her of a personal life. And the images in her head of those young actors that she had known who had all taken their own lives... this can be a dangerous business, she thought.

It might be a big risk to her career to say no to some offers. She was still young, but at 31 - well, actually nearing 32 now - how many good years of leading roles would she get before she had to start accepting "character roles" suited for older actors? But she couldn't help hear that tiny voice in her head that told her to slow down, that it will be OK.

She grabbed her purse and keys and took the Mini-Cooper to the stables for the afternoon. Some jumping and riding on Razzmatazz and Nebraska Girl always helped her clear her mind, and she hoped today's time with her beloved horses would give her some answers.

Leonard, for his part, had to spend part of Saturday on his laptop at home trying to work on a talk about Cal Tech's research - another "sales" pitch to raise money for the school. Chrissy was disappointed that her dad couldn't take her to the park to exercise their dog, but he promised definitely Sunday.

He was having a hard time getting his thoughts together. He looked over at Chrissy on the living room floor playing with her stuffed animal, Daisy. Thinking back to that day at the stables, he remembered what he'd told Penny about the sacrifices of his business traveling and time away from Chrissy: "I can't get that time back."

Leonard closed the laptop - it was 5:30 PM. He opened that new chianti that he recently discovered and, pouring a glass, sat down on the couch near Chrissy. He hit the TV 'On' button - the third round of a PGA golf tournament was being broadcast. Leonard wasn't a golfer but he enjoyed watching the broadcasts - the beautifully-manicured grass and the almost-whispered tones of the announcers were soothing and relaxing to him. He thought more about the last trip to London, about Chrissy, about Penny. A small voice in his head became clearer: "You've done your time as fundraising ambassador, Leonard. It's time to go back to what you love - physics research...the lab...the equipment, discoveries."

He sat there thinking some more and finally made a decision: this week he'd have the talk with the university about returning to the lab. Almost four years in this job, and, let's face it, he thought, some of the excitement and newness of the North Sea discoveries was wearing thin with donors now. Time for the school to find a new "ambassador". He wanted his old job back, and he was confident, with help from a few key contacts, that he'd get it back.

He opened up his laptop and went to his email. A brief note was typed and off went a request to his boss for a meeting as soon as possible. Subject: Career Trajectory Discussion. A short while later as Leonard watched his daughter playing, with the golf tournament on TV in the background, he heard the tone on his laptop signaling an incoming email. It was a reply from his boss and a Meeting Request for Tuesday, 11:30 AM. OK, Leonard thought, it's time for a change - I'm ready. He clicked "Accept" for the meeting.

Sunday night Penny had returned home from the stables, feeling tired but refreshed from her time with her horses. Exercise, fresh air, sunshine, the riding - it always helped clear her head.

In her bathroom as she stood relaxing under the hot "rain forest" shower she felt a wave of calm wash over her. She knew now what she'd do about work. Monday she'd talk to her agent and explain her new game plan - she would focus on the TV show, but for the foreseeable future...no commercials, no movies. She'd reclaim part of her life that had been lost.

Now the next question for her: What to do with that reclaimed part of her life? She clicked on "Contacts" on her phone and stared at Leonard's cell phone number. She was still wrestling with what to do about him. If he rejected her now, how could she ever handle it? She put down her phone as she looked out her bedroom window at the setting sun, trying to use some of the deep, slow breathing exercises that her yoga coach had taught her when she needed to calm herself.

What would this next week bring? she wondered.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: OK, the last chapter. It includes the promised brief, but pivotal role by another TBBT character. Don't miss the "update" at the end after you read the story. **

Chapter 16: At the End of the Day... Whatever You Do... There's Always a Risk

It was Wednesday, two days since Penny had the conversation with her agent about changes. She had laid out her argument carefully - she needed to reclaim some personal time in her life. Her agent, Brett, listened carefully. Then, shaking his head, he said:

"Well, Penny, I think maybe you're nuts to back off these other projects, but it's your life, and I'll let the ad agencies and the movie company know. It'll be just the TV show...for a while, anyway."

Wednesday, 6:45 PM and Penny was back in her dressing room, preparing to head home. As usual, her personal assistant had picked up Penny's mail at the post office and placed it on the table in the dressing room. As Penny grabbed her keys and purse, she picked up the mail, noticing a large padded envelope, with a return address of Dr. S. Cooper.

"Something from Sheldon?" she mumbled to herself. "That's weird."

Curiosity got the better of her and she opened the envelope in her dressing room. It contained a T-shirt. She unfolded the shirt and read the front: "Shrodinger's Cat", with a cartoon image of a box and a very much alive kitty in the box. Penny smiled.

Then from the envelope a note fell to the floor at her feet, and Penny reached down to pick it up. Unfolding the note, she noticed it was classic Sheldon - a printed document, concluding with his careful signature. She sat down at her make-up table as she read the note:

"Penny, Congratulations on your TV show. It seems to be a big hit. Well, so much for the small talk banter that I'm never comfortable with. I will get to the point. Amy spoke to Bernadette recently. I understand you have reconnected with Leonard but you are struggling with an answer. Do you remember our conversation before your first date with him? I do. You didn't seem to understand my explanation of Shrodinger's Cat. I had to go through it twice. But I think you did understand later.

"I bought this shirt for you. I hope you like it. You see, I think you need to open the box. I hope you understand what I am saying this time.

Your friend,

Sheldon Cooper, Phd, MS, etc."

Penny tried hard to hold back the tears that suddenly welled up in her eyes. She hadn't been in contact with Sheldon in a very long time, and this...this was the nicest thing he'd ever done for her. She re-read the note focusing on one sentence: "I think you need to open the box." Slowly a smile replaced the tears. Her old friend, Sheldon. He is a pretty smart guy, she thought.

"If he thinks I need to open the box, then I guess it's time to take a chance," she whispered to herself, "and whatever happens, I'll know that I tried my best to reclaim what had been the most important part of my life...Leonard."

Saturday morning Leonard waved goodbye to Chrissy as Becky's sister drove off to enjoy the day with her little niece. So Leonard would have the day to himself. First order of business - wash his car. The red Subaru Forester was still new and he liked to keep it looking its best, so, putting on his old clothes, he carried the bucket, sponge, some towels and the soap out to the driveway. Oh yeah, and the ladder!

He'd be starting his new/old job in three weeks, after convincing his bosses that his time would be better spent back in research, and his mood was upbeat at the prospect of getting back into the substantive work of the university. His role would be a somewhat different now at his age - older physicists do more mentoring of grad students and post-doctoral scientists, but he'd still have his hand in the "cool stuff', as he referred to it. And he planned to ensure that he could take an important role in furthering some of the leading edge research that was his passion.

Only one thing on his mind now... Penny. It was time to call her. He had made up his mind. Bernadette was right - no matter what he did about a new relationship with somebody, whoever it was... it would be a risk. It was just part of the deal.

And it was clear to him now - he was ready to try again with Penny. Bernie's advice helped. He and Penny were a good fit. It hadn't been easy before and there'd be challenges ahead. Becky was gone, and Leonard wanted someone again. He wanted Penny. He loved her.

He started to smile as the relief of a decision made washed over him. He'd call after he finished the car. Then a sudden tightening in his stomach appeared as he faced a new fear - what if she had now changed her mind about wanting to see him again. What if his answer that night at the restaurant was wrong?

As he grabbed the last unused towel to finish drying the car, he heard a car behind him coming rather fast up the street. He didn't bother to turn to look until he heard it screech to a stop at the end of his driveway.

What the... he thought, and then he noticed it was a familiar-looking black Mini-Cooper, lightly covered in gravel road dust.

He stood up straight and wiped off his hands and dropped the towel as he saw Penny get out of the car.

"The guy at the security gate knew who I was from the show, and when I told him I was here to visit you, he let me in," Penny yelled as she walked toward Leonard, wearing her usual wide-brimmed hat to protect her face from the sun, a pair of pink shorts, tan sandals and a white T-shirt with some kind of design or something on the front that Leonard couldn't quite make out.

Leonard was standing there in his old cargo shorts and T-shirt, as usual half-soaked from washing his car. Penny was here - why did she come here, Leonard wondered. He could feel his heart rate increasing.

Not sure what to say, Leonard tried for some levity, "Come by for our Saturday car wash special?"

Penny let out a little laugh and the shook her head.

"Hey, you," she said as she approached him, "hope you don't mind that I stopped by unannounced. I could tell you that I was just in the neighborhood, but that would be a lie. So where's that little cutie pie? I brought her a teddy bear."

"Aw, thanks, that was nice of you. Chrissy's not here right now - she's with her aunt today," Leonard responded. "It's just me." He stood there puzzled by Penny's arrival, but he was glad to see her.

"Nice T-shirt there," Leonard observed looking at the cat in the box illustration.

"Yeah, it's Shrodinger's Cat - well, I guess you can see that," Penny chuckled. "Actually, Sheldon sent it to me the other day. I like it especially because, see, the kitty's alive!" as Penny pointed to the front of her shirt.

"He sent you that? That's interesting...why?" Leonard asked.

Penny hesitated for moment before responding, "Well, remember way back when before our first date? I had asked Sheldon for his advice about going out with you, and he suggested Shrodinger's Cat as the answer, which I totally didn't understand?"

Leonard laughed, "I remember."

She continued, "Well, I finally figured out what he meant - that you'll never know how things are going to turn out without taking a chance. I mean, that's how I interpreted what he said, anyway."

She had by now taken off her sunglasses, and her green eyes were sparkling as she explained more about Sheldon and the T-shirt.

"Anyway, I had a heart to heart chat with Bernadette recently, and I guess she must have talked to Amy, who told Sheldon. Bless his heart, he sent me this shirt with a note. Can you believe it? Sheldon did this!"

Penny looked a little more serious, "I have these good friends, who, unfortunately I lost touch with, who cared enough to help me figure out what I needed to do, which was this:

- I need to make more time for other things besides work.

- I need to overcome my fear of your rejecting me - this has terrified me.

- I need to find out if we still have a chance to be together.

"When we spent the afternoon at the stables and dinner at the restaurant, I asked you if you would like to get together again, and you said you needed to think about it. And I didn't hear back from you. I thought I could either just let it go - that you didn't want to ever see me again - or I had to find out how you really felt. That was Bernadette's advice - to call you. But I was scared to find out."

"And then...," Penny smiled again, "then I got the shirt and the note from Sheldon telling me I needed to 'open the box.' I needed to risk having my heart broken and I needed to find out if our relationship was alive or dead."

She looked down for a moment, fidgeting with her car keys. Then Penny just let it all out,

"I know we messed up three years ago - no, wait, _I_ messed up three years ago. You didn't need to apologize at the restaurant that night for what happened to us. Those last few months together in 2014 were another case of me treating you badly, Leonard. And I am so, so sorry. And I did that so often throughout our relationship. Sometimes I was so full of myself and acted so superior, when the fact was I felt so insecure around you. You were bright, you were passionate about your work and your hobbies, you had this close group of friends that shared your passions. And here I thought I had you on a string, that I had control...until that day in June 2014 when you said we needed a break."

Penny, almost unable to control her emotions, continued,

"And you left us - our relationship - behind and moved on to a new life and a wife and stepdaughter. At the fundraiser when I whispered to you about coming to the stables and I gave you my phone number, you have no idea how nervous.. how scared I was. I didn't know if you'd tell me to fuck off or what. I was so happy when you called and said you'd bring Chrissy down to the stables.

"I didn't tell you this at the restaurant, but about six months after we broke up I started seeing a therapist to try to fix what was broken. Two years of exploring lots of issues really helped. But I never thought I'd get another chance to show you that I've changed, and then... I saw you at the fundraiser that night with Bernadette."

Penny finished up her thoughts,

"You've been through a tough time, but you have a wonderful daughter - she really is adorable. And we aren't the exact same people we were then. We've both matured, and I think we both know what we really want. For me, I told my agent I need to cut back on commitments. I've been through the high stress of overcommitting to projects, but it's cost me in my personal life, and I don't want to live that way anymore. Does any of this sound familiar to you?"

Leonard smiled, almost laughing as he responded, "I just had a similar conversation with my boss. I'm giving up the traveling and the public relations/donor chasing stuff I got pulled into after the North Sea. I've basically hated it. And, I think I told you, I've hated being away from Chrissy so much. I'm going back to research... what I love. It will be a new kind of role, but no more long trips and glad-handing for money from prospective donors."

Leonard took a deep breath and a moment to prepare his thoughts. Here goes, he thought.

"Penny, here's the thing: I've always loved you. Always. And, yeah, I did "move on" after we broke up. I thought we were done...for good. But I never forgot about you, and, after Becky died, I started thinking about you a lot more.

"And, thinking about you and maybe getting together again, I was... well, I am scared. Beyond my own worries about getting hurt, I've got Chrissy now. What happens to me happens to her. It just makes it harder to think about getting involved again, you know?"

Penny shook her head, "I know, I know. It is kind of scary. But we've been through so much together. We know each other so well. I love you so much. I believe in us. I hope what I have told you today maybe will help show you that I am ready and excited to try again, and I promise... I promise to you today that, if you give me that chance, I will do everything I can to make it up to you."

Looking at Leonard, Penny felt her heart racing as she took a deep breath, trying to hold back some tears and added, "And, just so you know, I'd be really honored about becoming a stepmom to Chrissy. I hope that doesn't freak you out, Leonard - I'm just trying to be up front and honest about how I feel about... both of you."

Penny blushed a little as she realized what she'd just said. But it felt good.

"I really appreciate that, Penny," Leonard looked at her intently. "She is so important to me - I feel so protective of her. But I know you'd be great with her, if, you know, we decided to..."

"You, me and Chrissy, we'd always have to come first - before our jobs. That's how I see it, Leonard, " Penny declared, her beautiful green eyes fixed on Leonard's eyes.

Leonard stood there, struck by how certain and determined Penny sounded - there was surely something different about her.

"Yeah, absolutely, Penny," Leonard smiled broadly now and moved much closer to her.

Penny took another deep breath, trying not to show how nervous she was. She was almost shaking.

"So," she spoke the words carefully, "I want to ask you one more time. Would you like to get together again, Leonard?"

Leonard reached out for Penny's hands, "Yes, Penny, I'd love to see you again."

THE END...well, not quite...

_UPDATE DECEMBER 2018:_

Penny and Leonard were married eight months later, in May, 2018. Everyone at the reception was given a Shrodinger's Cat T-shirt with the additional words "Open the Box" printed on the back.

Penny continues starring in the CBS comedy that marked her ascent to stardom, but she has thus far resisted other projects that would interfere with her family life.

Leonard returned to physics research where he continues making significant discoveries that have made him a "rock star" in his field. He has also assumed responsibilities of mentoring grad students and post-doctoral scientists, helping them become highly regarded physicists. He does not miss the extensive business travel.

Penny is 5 months pregnant - wanting to be surprised, she and Leonard have declined learning the sex of the baby. Her TV show will be re-writing some scenes to disguise her "baby bump."

Penny has happily reconnected with Howard and Bernadette and their young son, as well as Sheldon and Amy... and Raj and his new fiancee, Divya. Regularly the group gathers at Leonard and Penny's home for take out chinese, like the old days.

Chrissy is happily learning to ride horses with the help of her doting stepmom.

With memories of summer camp as a kid still fresh, Leonard has thus far declined Penny's invitation to ride a horse. Well, for now, anyway.

"************************************************* **********************"

_Author's Wrap-up Notes:_

_I hope that you enjoyed this Leonard and Penny story. I sincerely appreciate all the kind and encouraging reviews and comments - it makes it so much fun to create and publish something like this._

___Lastly, remember, when in doubt, "Open the box."_


End file.
